I Am the King!
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Struck down by Ulquiorra, Ichigo survives, though at a terrible cost. Succumbing to the darkness within his soul, he loses his humanity. Now, changed forevermore, who could possibly love the monster he's become? Fluff, angst, romance, spoilers. Ichihime
1. Suerte

**_Review please! I just wrote 5,000 + words for you guys and gals, AND tried to keep everyone reasonably within character and the like! Therefore, this story both deserves and needs some serious reviews! Remember, bold italics equal hollow thoughts, and italics equal hollow speak._**

**_Suerte_**

In a matter of moments the room had been all but destroyed. The ryoka had been stronger than the Arrancar had believed him to be—but he was by no means invincible. As Ulquiorra had anticipated, his taunts had finally goaded the shinigami into action, and had made him reckless. His attacks were _irritatingly_powerful, but most were wild and inaccurate. If they hadn't been such wide swaths of energy, the shinigami would have missed the Espada on numerous occasions.

It was time to end this—it wouldn't be wise to leave Orihime alone for any extended period of time. He knew better than anyone else that the inhabitants of the castle were not happy about her presence there. It was his, Ulquiorra's, nearly constant presence that kept the others at bay.

Without his mask, the ryoka could _obviously_ tell that his attacks weren't having any effect.

He leaped for an opening in the wall, perhaps in a mad attempt at escape with his allies, or perhaps only to rest for a moment or so. But Ulquiorra wasn't one to allow him that luxury. Time was of the essence.

He appeared in a blur beside the shinigami, whose astonished gaze met his in an instant, and then moved down to observe the orb of viridian Cero the Espada held in his palm; just before Ulquiorra released it at point-blank range.

_**Let me out.**_

Ichigo twisted to take the full impact, so as to spare Nel.

_**Let me out.**_

And it _hurt._

_**Let me out let me out let me out!**_

The shinigami flew back, crashing into an opposing tower far away. The Espada was there in an instant, just as the ryoka was pulling himself forcefully from the debris. Then, oddly enough, the shinigami began to laugh quietly. Ulquiorra felt an uncomfortable sensation over the tattoo just underneath his torn surcoat. The tip of the sleek black blade was pressed against his chest, though it trembled with the shinigami's effort to keep it placed there.

The ryoka looked up, his face fearless and arrogant.

"I guess you've got to be Aizen's most powerful, huh?" he asked, grinning. "So if I just take you out right now, it'll be a major blow to his little army, won't it?" Ulquiorra blinked once, his pale hand taking the slim edge of the obsidian sword and pushing it aside. The coat tore with its passage, revealing the ebony number four emblazoned in the Espada's stark white skin. His green eyes gleamed with satisfaction at the look of fading hope on the ryoka's battered countenance.

"Even if you were to somehow get past me, shinigami," Ulquiorra began quietly, "there are three others more powerful than myself lurking these halls." The Espada felt the Soul Reaper's tight grip begin to loosen at the hilt of his sword, but Ulquiorra held it steady at its tip. "But you do not have the capacity to best me, so it makes little difference."

Ulquiorra's other hand tautened, his fingers forming a deadly sharp point, but there was a moment of hesitation as the Espada remembered a time and place that had only a few seconds ago seemed so far away. He remembered the calm confidence in her sparkling blue-gray eyes as she spoke his name; he had taken a step back, though there was no reason to. He had promised her—but it was such a foolish pact. Why even consider it now?

The Espada struck; he all but grimaced to see the wounded shinigami faint in front of him while he withdrew. But the ryoka was alive all the same—it had been a calculated miss. Ulquiorra blinked down at his fallen foe, deciding that he was a complete fool, and that he would probably regret the decision later.

Yet he knew it didn't matter. This boy could never hope to oppose him, not even with a millenia of training under his belt. He knew that if this shinigami were to die, that the woman Aizen-sama had entrusted to his care, would not so much as lift a finger to follow their orders. Of course, they'd have to kill her then, to prevent her from falling into the enemies hands again.

That alternative was unacceptable.

--

Pain.

_**LET ME OUT!**_

Intense, mind numbing pain. That was the first thought that came to Ichigo as he looked down and saw the hand buried up to the wrist in his chest. His head slumped forward as he felt his lung start to fill with blood. Grabbing Ulquiorra's arm to support himself, his vision started to go dark around the edges. He stood motionless, reiatsu plummeting dangerously as it took all his effort just to stay standing. In his mind, he heard the hollow's voice, laughing maniacally.

_"I already told you, not to die before I showed up again. But you didn't listen, did you? You've gone and overused my power. Now look at ya! You've gotten yourself all cut up! I won't have it, Ichigo. This time, you're gonna submit to me for a little bit."_

"Your side will never achieve victory."

Growing faint, Ichigo found it a struggle just to raise his head as the espada retreated back into the opening the explosion had left, vanishing in a buzz of sonido moments later. The scene was the same in his inner world, for he found himself impaled on the end of a white Tensa Zangetsu for the second time in a month. Hichigo sneered, and shoved the slim daito deeper, effectively pinning his host to the side of the building.

_"See, now this is more like it, Ichigo." _A pale hand caressed the vizard's face, spraying flecks of black blood upon his bluing lips when he spat and snapped at the offensive appendage. _"The way it was meant to be."_The hollow's grin grew till it seemed to split his face in two, their visage a mere centimeters apart._"Now, how about you be the horse, and I...be the king for a little bit?"_

Ichigo was about to snarkily comment on that _he_ was still the king, but something cold and wet covered his face, strangling whatever reply he might have given. Shock and terror overwhelmed him then his flickering consciousness, and he was forced under.

_"Now its my turn, you pathetic piece of shit."_

--

_(Meanwhile)_

"Hurry up and heal him! Ulquiorra's gone come back here once he realizes-

**_"GRRRRYYYYYYYAAAAH!"_**

Ichigo's limp form suddenly jerked itself awake, a ragged scream tearing past HIS lips, all but shattering the protective orange dome that had encircled him for the past five minutes. Startled, Inoue could only stare as white, foamy material erupted from his mouth, nose, ears and eyes, creeping across to cover the face of her beloved, the very sight forcing her to take a small step back in fear.

"K-Kurosaki-kun! W-What's happening to you?!"

He couldn't answer, he was too busy choking on the white goop pouring out of his throat.

Ichigo was at the end of his burning in his chest was incredible, easily ten times the pain he'd been through in the shattered shaft, which looked like a cakewalk compared to his. He couldn't even move, couldn't even grab Zangetsu to end his own life.

All he could do was lay there and scream as his hollow took over for what would likely be the final time.

The shallow indentation left by Ulquiorra grew, becoming a hole that threatened to swallow him up. More of the thick, white pasty material erupted out of his mouth and eyes. He felt consciousness leaving him and didn't even try to fight it. He'd failed. He was going to become a hollow. He surrendered to the blackness and hoped that it would be over quickly.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

"It too late. He's become a hollow, a slave to power." Orihime whipped her head around to see Ulquiorra Schiffer, standing quietly behind Grimmjow, who hadn't even noticed the abrupt arrival of his most hated nemesis. "I always suspected something like this would happen, and clearly, I wasn't mistaken."

"Ulquiorra!"

The Sexta espada swore in surprise as he whirled around-

"You're in the way, Grimmjow. Move."

Too late, with a single swipe of his sword, Grimmjow was splayed on his back, unable to move as his spine had been severed from the strike. Inoue's Sonten Kisshun flew over him, but blood loss was what kept Grimmjow down, and now, he could only helplessly look on as the hollow hole tore itself into existence just bellow the vizard's navel.

**_"Did you say...slavery?"_**

The screaming suddenly stopped, as the vizard jerked herself upright to direct a burning glare towards the cuarta espada. The mask was still forming, but there wasn't the smallest trace of sanity in that stare, and the power had already destabilized to the point where Ichigo's very form blurred as if she were a TV image and they were getting a bad reception.

**_"Tell me, is it slavery when you get what you want? _****_Cuz' if it is, I ain't complaining."_**

"Shit! Shit shit shit!" Grimmjow, recognized the surge all too well and swore, his eyes widening in surprise as he tried to get up, only to flop down in a pathetic heap, pinned by both the reaitsu, and the fact that his arms and legs had fallen asleep. Even Ulquiorra and Orihime briefly paused from their standoff, surprise appearing on the face of espada amd human alike.

**_"GRAAAAAH!"_**

A bright light consumed the now screaming Ichigo, smothering him in the blaze of red fire. The sheer heat of it was _blistering_, threatening to overwhelm you. An air of malice could be felt in the air, nearly as thick as the all-encompassing reaitsu that had permeated the air. It was mockery in a sense, as if the very blaze was _daring _you to come close enough to burn.

Ulquiorra, even Grimmjow himself was struck speechless, even more so as he watched the blaze grow into a roiling twister of dark red flame. The tornado spiraled endlessly upward, yet stayed in place, as if something were tethering it there, preventing its destructive path from moving ever onward.

As the clouds roiled overhead, lighting began to dance overhead within them. That was made even more menacing by the fact that under the dome of Las Noches, there really wasn't any weather, other than the hellishly bright artificial sun. But a storm was still brewing nonetheless, and the air becoming more and more charged with electricity.

This power...

It was like nothing he had ever felt before. He'd been given a brief glimpse of it when the boy sliced off Yammy's arm, but it had been weaker then, unstable, likely to self destruct at any moment.

Without out a doubt, this power had matured over the last month. It was still unstable, but in the sense that suggested its owner to be insane, or at least deranged enough to wield such maddening power.

It was dark, sinister...

Yet _pure_, as if it had a clear purpose, other than destruction. This riled Grimmjow to no end. Arrancar knew next to nothing of pure reaitsu, their spiritual pressure and reiryoku were black as night from the moment they were born. Ulquiorra, he was more curious than concerned, he just wanted to see what this new entity was, and if it would be useful to lord Aizen.

He didn't have long to wait before his assumptions were proved to be in the affirmative.

Suddenly, the twister, which had been crackling with electricity, virtually humming with raw, unrestrained power, died down. The twister shrank to a mere fraction of its original size and diameter, the winds dissipating with a faint rustle.

If he thought it was over...

Then he was dead wrong.

Just as the winds died...

KKRAM!

A bolt of lightning struck the blaze, spraying the screaming hollowfied reiatsu in every direction. Some of it struck the pillars, some of it shot straight through to pierce the dome overhead, and the rest just obliterated any non-living object within a radius of three miles.

Ulquiorra stared into the light as they were all consumed in its radiance, the flare sputtering to a crackling, smoking hiss as the sandy cloud of ash obscurred nearly everything. That is, until the figure stalked out of the smoke.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo now brandished Zangetsu once more, showing no fear as the black and silver blade glinted in the artificial sunlight. The mask had returned once more, though this time it had taken the same distinct shape, it lacked the red stripes, which had become black. His reaitsu had the exact same feel as an arrancar's, rough, black and full of the desire to kill.

Not a trace of shinigami reaitsu to be found, Inoue noted.

"His reiatsu's so rough....Is this really...Kurosaki-kun?"

Slowly, his gaze swiveled, over Orihime, Neliel, Grimmjow, before it finally fixated upon Ulquiorra. The cuarta espada lowered the smoking hand that he'd used to shield himself, and the vizard's mask parted to expose the vicious of its owner, its ceramic confines moving with every word of its master, who now moved to place himself firmly between Inoue and said arrancar.

_"Hey, espada. You look strong, dont'cha? How about we go at it?"_

"What are you, Kurosaki Ichigo." Ulquiorra's bland expression did nothing to hide the trickle of disbelief that had wormed its way into his mind, strangling all sentinent thought of the peril he was now in. "You look like a shinigami, yet your reaitsu is exactly like ours."

_"I'm not Ichigo." _The hollowfied vizard grinned sardonically._ "Ichigo's a pussy. I'm stronger than he is!"_

"Then what are you?"

_"You don't need to know!"_

Ulquiorra frowned, brushing the dirt and dust off his sullied hakama. The boy's spiritual pressure was worrisome, and that was only the tip of the iceburg. Right now, his reaitsu kept fluctuating to either equal, or outmatch his own, and that in of itself was very unpleasant.

"You've become a hollow, haven't you?"

_Ichigo's_grin was dangerously unpleasant, as was his tone when he heard this. Unshouldering Zangetsu, he pointed its tip towards the arrancar, clearly challenging the espada to a fight.

_"Wanna test yer theory?"_

"I'd rather not."

_Ichigo _grinned.

_"You don't have a choice!"_

**_(Music: Bleach Ost Encirclement battle)_**

His body was already in motion, the abrupt increase in speed more than enough of an excuse for Ulquiorra to withdraw his left hand from its pocket. Heaving Zangetsu's massive edge horizontally and allowing the blade's weight to drag him, Ichigo jabbed it toward Ulquiorra, who once again, caught on the back of his palm.

The clash of zanpakuto against hierro was so violent the force blew another large hole in the wall of the pillar next to them. Unable to maintain his position from the unexpected attack, Ulquiorra skidded out into the harsh light of the artificial sun It was only going to get worse, Ulquiorra realized, as the vizard appeared before him with a wild cackle and brought a free hand around to reach for his face.

Inoue scrambled out to the opening to watch, just in time as Ichigo got a hold of Ulquiorra.

Startled, the espada lost ground against the momentum, Ichigo's bare feet scrapping across empty air as he violently heaved the espada towards one of the many red pillars that dotted the desert of Las noches.

Ulquiorra went through about three more, backfirst, before he finally took action. As he approached the fourth pillar, he flipped himself in the air, and landed against the it feetfirst. Pushing off it, he left a small crater as he shot forward, a crater which soon lengthened to obliterate the entire pillar into red dust.

With that, Ichigo recoiled, pulling Zangetsu away, stepping into a turning horizontal swing, prepared to split the arrancar in two. Ulquiorra barely managed to avoid the attack, leaping backwards whilst maintaining an upright posture.

Allowing the weight of his oversized blade to pull him, Ichigo continued his charge forward, spinning into another turning slice that followed the same direction of his last cut. Ulquiorra managed to avoid this attack as well, falling forward on his left heel and ducking under the attack. In almost the same motion, the arrancar drew his sword and launched himself up at Ichigo, right arm reared back to hammer the orange haired swordsman with his own katana.

As this happened, Ichigo allowed his weapon's momentum to take him once more, moving with the curve of his slash to pivot out of the way of his adversary's attack. This lead into a spinning backhand bash with the back of the blade, catching the attacking arrancar squarely in the stomach before the espada's sword forced him away.

Ichigo smirked and vanished in a flash of _shunpo, _Ulquiorra quickly recovering and following suit with his _sonido. _He reappeared first, Ichigo quickly following as the two combatants once more crossed blades before vanishing again. Ichigo was the first to show himself this time, reemerging in mid-air with Ulquiorra suddenly appearing in front of him; if he had been surprised by the stoic arrancar's sudden reappearance, he did little to show it.

"Impressive. I didn't expect you to pressure me this much, Kurosaki."

_"And I didn't expect you to be so talkative! Whatsamatter, ya scared?"_

Ulquiorra's face remained the expressionless mask he'd always maintained, even though the man's insult rang true. Ulquiorra glanced down at his left hand before he raised it up to his blade and ran his thin index finger along the sharp edge. A thin line of blood began to leak out from the small wound as he lifted his arm up and pointed his outstretched finger at the hollowfied vizard The blood trickled slowly from his fingertip, small crimson droplets releasing themselves from his veins and splashing upon the sands below.

Despite his injuries, Ulquiorra's reiatsu began to rise as one final drop of blood fell from his flesh. The sphere of blood froze in its drop before it began to swirl around in the air, the red droplet becoming a hoop as more and more of the Espada's energy was forced upon it. Soon the ring of energy turned a juniper color as it lost its circular purity, jagged bars of energy jutting out from the deadly ball of power.

Taking a moment to soak in the shock appearing on the vizard's face, Ulquiorra waited until the energy had reached an almost feverish pitch, the conflicting forces begging to be released.

"_Gran Rey Cero."_

The massive blast shot forth at Ichigo, slamming into him, leaving a swath of charred earth in the ground as it drilled through and demolished the nearest pillar completely, obliterating everything for a mile, as the green _cero _of the Espada tore through the placid afternoon air.

"K-Kurosaki-kun!"

Ulquiorra, his shirt ripped open from Ichigo's previous attacks, stood stone still before the jagged opening, staring down at the rubble dispassionately, waiting for his opponent's next move. The forbidden cero had done some damage, but evidently, not enough. He could feel the boy's wicked reaitsu rising, steaming upwards menacingly, but the vizard himself had yet to make an appearance from his hiding place in the cloud of dust.

"Come, Kurosaki Ichigo. Surely that isn't all you can do, is it?"

_"Bankai."_ It wasn't a shout, just more of a short, sharp breath than anything else. He didn't care if the whole world heard it or not, all that mattered was that he wasn't anywhere near done yet. _"Tensa Zangetsu."_

As the reaitsu blackened, the wind began to blow through the opened hole in the dome, and the dust from the explosion cleared, he saw the still silhouette of Ichigo Kurosaki, rising to his feet. His clothing was tattered slightly and his left sleeve was completely gone. His gold and black eyes were still burning on the Arrancar aboce of him.

_"Get down here, arrancar! We're not finished yet!"_

Ulquiorra Schiffer didn't answer, but leapt forward once more, his sword swinging out aggressively in an attempt to cleave the vizard's head clear off his shoulders. Wordlessly, Ichigo caught the blade with his bare hand and held on to it, despite the blood that began to trickle out of his closed fist.

_"Now, let's try this again."_

_"!!"_

His arm lashed out, intercepting Ulquiorra's free hand, barehanded. There was a brief gasp of surprise from his attacker, seen in those junniper green tainted orbs, for as he turned, the vizard's golden black orbs bored into his visage with an all too obvious intent.

_"Getsuga.." _Ichigo growled, and the espada stiffened suddenly, but to no avail, the vizard held him fast, and Tensa Zangetsu was held far too high to deny the impending attack. Pale eyes widened in fear against the dark light for they at last realized the impending lethality of this attack.

"_Tenshou."_

Moments later, the black energy fang leapt from _Zangetsu_, and into Ulquiorra, tearing him away from the vizard, ripping into his skin with blistering force as he was forced to take the block barehanded. There was another swish of shunpo, and Ichigo was there, _Tensa Zangetsu_ raised and ready to rain down another _Kuroi Getsuga_ at his head.

Ulquiorra suddenly swung his sword hand with gusto, batting away both the offensive strike and its wielder. Ichigo lurched back in surprise, trying to ignore the gash blossoming down the length of his shoulder. With a grunt, he threw a _getsuga _at the arrancar, who in turn raised a hand and swatted it away again, a cero ripping through the black bolt to drill the vizard back into the ground.

Noting the small burn on his palm, Ulquiorra scoffed and brushed it off on his leg. This boy was powerful enough to be a nuisance, but nothing more. He was no threat to Aizen-sama, but he still might make a useful soldier if captured.

With this in mind, he took a step in Kurosaki's direction, only to stagger forward as a streak or bright orange light slammed into his midsection with enough force to actually make _him_stagger forward. Confused, he whipped his gaze around, only to find Kurosaki just as confused. Before he could find the source of the attack, another bolt bit into his left hip, then another and another, slamming him into a series of nearby pillars with a pained scream.

"L-Leave Kurosaki-kun alone!"

_"Eh?"_

Inoue Orihime panted heavily, sweat beading down her brow as she fell to her knees and slumped forward, out of the opening and into the sands, her shield cushioning her fall just before impact. Evidently, she was the one who'd just blasted the espada through the air, but the effort had left her severely drained. Ichigo blinked in surprise, some strange sentiment welling up within him as he stared at the human girl who'd just saved his ass.

Was it relief? No, he didn't have any fear of his opponent. He knew the king thought of this girl as just a friend, but was he really that stupid, or did this woman always have this much attacking power. Was it gratitude then? He couldn't figure it out, and before long, found himself standing in front of her, snarling as she weakly whispered the king's name.

Confusion replaced with anger, Hichigo snarled furiously.

_"Oi, woman!"_He barked angrily, glaring down at Inoue. _"Stay the he__ll outta my fight!"_

"B-But-

_"No but's!" _Reaching down, he hefted her up by the collar._ "I'm the one fighting now, not him! So you shut your ass up!"_

The hollow could feel the presence of his king trying to claw its way back to the surface, and he knew he had to hurry, that is, if he wanted to kill this woman or not. This was one of the few opponents who fought like him, and had his respect. Distractions could be costly. Ulquiorra would get back up any minute now, and-

Too late.

_Give me back my body you bastard!_

_**Shut up and watch! If I hadn't taken over there's a chance you'd already be dead!**_

_This is my fight! I don't give a damn what you want! _

_**Doesn't it suck Ichigo, being the horse? Now you know how I feel when I watch you fight, not knowing if you'll screw up too badly for me to save us! You still don't get it, why you're not as strong as you could be! **_

_I don't care right now! I want my fight back, I want to win!_

Sheer force of will was what ended up saving the teen's mind as he fought with every ounce of mental strength he had left. His hollow could feel himself being dragged back into the inner world, and rallied against it, but to no avail, something seemed to be strengthening the king's will to take back his throne.

_**You moron, he's going to kill you! My power is the only thing keeping your body from falling apart!**_

_I'm going to use everything I have left to win. If you don't want to work with me, then get the hell out of the way!_

Ichigo's hollow, dumbfounded by this sudden newfound courage and resolve, could only chuckle coldly as Ichigo fought and tore his way back to the surface, forcibly dropping Inoue as his reasserted his persona as the dominant pscyhe.

**_Fine then. You win...this round. But don't blame me if you get yourself killed!_**

Ichigo finally broke free and resumed control of his body. Fueled by his hollow's powers, his eyes and mask remained, although his voice returned to normal. He gagged, panting heavily as the sharp light of Las Noches stabbed at his eyes, then groaned as the pain from his wounds began to set in. His body felt like lead, and he could only pray that Ulquiorra wasn't faring much better.

If he got back up from that...

"Kurosaki...kun?"

He cracked a pained smile through the mask. His body felt weird, but he would worry about that and the current state of his reaitsu later. Right now, he needed to address the terrified Inoue kneeling before him in silent terror.

"Don't worry, its me." He whisked the mask away, then frowned, when it only partially complied, halting to frame the entire left side of his face before resisting his attempts to remove it.

"I'm...alright."

_'I hope.'_

"In that case, I hope _you_, still have enough strength left to adequately combat _me_, Kurosaki." Ichigo stiffened as the dull buzz of sonido filled his ears, and a familiar figure appeared in his peripheral vision his knees nearly buckling from the intense reaitsu that threatened to strangle him where he stood. He groaned, already knowing who it was, and that his hopes had officially been dashed.

"Fuck!"

**_Note:Hichigo may be referred to as Ichigo when he's controlling Kurosaki's body. _****_Next time: Tears of the heart, clash of the titans._**


	2. Mala Suerte

**_Review please! I just wrote 5,000 + words for you guys and gals, AND tried to keep everyone reasonably within character and the like! Therefore, this story both deserves and needs some serious reviews! Remember, bold italics equal hollow thoughts, and italics equal hollow speak._**

**_Mala Suerte_**

He swore, pivoting on one heel as his attacker fired the cero, lashing out in an aggressive arc to cleave the juniper green blast entirely in two. He'd taken a gamble on Ulquiorra being out for at least another minute, but now, he realized it was too late to do anything other than hold his stance and weather the incoming assault, for behind that cero, Ulquiorra darted in, sword slamming down in a thunderous crash.

"Inoue, get behind me!"

Nothing happened.

Amazingly, Kurosaki had deflected the strike with ease, surprise appearing on his face at the realization that he'd been able to hold his own with just one arm. Ulquiorra noticed it as well, his eyes widening as his blade began to crack and chip against that of the newly reborn arrancar's.

"As I thought."

But to his surprise, Ulquiorra didn't follow up on the attack, instead, he took three steps backward. Before Ichigo could fathom just what was going on, the espada shot past him and into the sky, dragging his Orihime, now his unwilling hostage up with him. Ichigo stared after them a moment, then swore vehemently.

"Bastard! Get your ass back here!"

Inoue gave up resisting after the first five seconds, such was the vice-grip Ulquiorra had on her. Ichigo wasted no time in coming after them, something which only made Orihime's heart flutter with joy as the arrancarified vizard rapidly gained ground.

"Kurosaki-kun won't let you...get away with this! He'll catch you! You'll see."

"I know, woman."

Moments later, they smashed through the dome, the sky shattering like glass as they burst into perpetual night. Immediately, Ichigo recognized the humid night air of Hueco Muendo, with its eerily slanted moon shining its foreboding light down upon him.

He didn't know why, but his heat rejoiced to be in the open air. It was if he'd fallen away from his body and into another's, but in a good sense, as the energy rushed through him, revitalizing his once leaden body.

He started in surprise, staggering back a step as Inoue was violently thrown towards him. Ichigo didn't think, he just moved, his body dissapearing with a sharp static buzz, then reappearing to snatch her back. She squeaked in surprise.

His hair, it had grown out quite a bit, she now realized. Ichigo also noted something off about the way he'd just moved, this being enough for him to glance down a himself with concern.

_'Wierd, I never noticed it before, but why does my shunpo sound different now?' _

"That wasn't shunpo."

"Eh?"

"You still haven't noticed?" Ulquiorra stared at him intently, this strange, foolhardy boy that had only recently become the focus of Aizen-sama's attention. "Even after all this time. That your mask refuses to be dispelled, and that you _still_ have a hole through your lower chest cavity?"

"What's your point?"

Ulquiorra stared at Ichigo with disbelief.

"I see. Then allow me to elaborate on why I have brought you here. You see there are two things forbidden under the dome of Las Noches, two acts that warrant severe punishment, even death at the hands of lord Aizen himself, should they be committed. One, is an espada's cero, the Gran Rey cero. The other is that the Espada one through four are forbidden to release their zanpakutou beneath the dome. Both are so powerful they would destory Las Noches itself."

Thrusting his zanpakutou outward, Ulquiorra allowed himself a faint smirk. "Now watch and learn well, Kurosaki Ichigo. I will now prove the distance between us."

"Bind. Murcielago."

Black rain burst into the air, blotting out the moon and plunging everyone into darkness. Ichigo stared up at the pillar in horrfified awe, focused on the two black wings that had just burst out of Ulquiorra's back and the new, complete helmet that rested firmly upon his cranium, lending the espada an almost vampiric appearance.

"H-His reiatsu..." Inoue slumped to her knees, her eyes wided with horror and disbelief as the heavy spiritual pressure threatened to strangle her. Had Ichigo not placed himself firmly between the two, she might've died right then and there. "It's so heavy."

"Don't tremble." The espada began, swiveling his chilling gaze to fall once more upon the former shinigami. "Don't break your stance. Stay aware of your surroundings." Slowly, the espada gathered light within his palms, and began to shape it as he so chose, forming two thin lances of pure juniper green radiance. "And don't let your guard down for an instant."

Ichigo didn't have time to move, he simply wasn't fast enough, couldn't move in time. But he did blaze a vicious Getsgua in retaliation, the blow blasting Ulquiorra back to his original position.

"You used Getsuga reflexively. A prudent decision. If you hadn't, your head and the rest of your torso would be at my feet right now."

Ulquiorra remained silent a moment longer, looking on quietly as Ichigo groaned, slumping to his knees, clutching the severed stump that had once been his shoulder, the blood leaking through his fingertips.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

"Stay back, Inoue!"

Still, Ulquiorra droned on.

"Your hollow form has gotten stronger, Kurosaki. You've gained new powers, you can maintain it longer, and you've even been able to rival myself, a vasto lorde class arrancar in the process of it all. And yet, I was still able to sever your left arm from your body, thanks to the speed and power of my resurrecccion. Now what will you-

He stopped short when the skin began to swell and bulge, almost as if something were trying to force its way out of the wound. With a pained cry, Ichigo screamed in raw agony, just as a fresh new limb tore itself free from the stump, lacking only the black sleeve, which wouldn't have stood up to the viscous fluids that spewed out anyway.

If Ulquiorra was surprised, Ichigo was _dumbfounded_. He'd just instantly regenerated a lost limb, something shinigami, something not even a vizard was able to do. That was instantaneous regeneration, and only hollows had that ability. So did that mean...

"Heh." Ichigo flexed his new arm, his hand, into a fist, eliciting a small popping sound as all the joints carefully realligned themselves. "I don't know what's going on here, but if you're speechless, then I guess that's a good thing...

"Ulquiorra!"

_Ichigo. Why are you hesitating? Why do you refuse to wield me properly?_

_'Old man....Zangetsu?'_

_You seem surprised, Ichigo. It is possible for an arrancar to have a sentinent zanpakutou, though it most cases it is very rare. However, the fact that you were originally a shinigami, has preserved my prescence and that of your inner hollow._

_'Are you...here to help me then?' _He couldn't focus properly as they continued to exchange both blows and blades, but he did his level best as the spirit of his sword resounded solemnly in his head.

_Perhaps. Perhaps not. It depends on your answer to my question. Think long and hard before you reply._

_'Alright.'_

_You cannot fight to avenge in this battle. You must only fight to protect. To do this, you will have to accept the other facet of your psyche, and in doing so, you will learn to better grasp my inner power. But power is nothing but an uncontrollable flame if it is not directed towards a purpose, a greater goal that surpasses all boundaries and desire. Do you have that goal Ichigo? What will you do if I should lend you my strength in this battle?_

The answer came before he'd even though to consider his question. It was the reason he'd come here, the reason he had fought, and was still fighting, even after all this time. It was the reason he had to win.

_'I...want to protect my friends.'_

_Is that all?_

_'That's all.'_

_Very well then. I will bequeath to you my ultimate technique, the purest form of the Getsuga Tenshou. Use it well._

Ichigo blinked in surprise, amazed to find that his mentor was gone again. Now, there was only Ulquiorra, ramming into him, sending the two to plummet downward towards the sands below.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Use Getsuga."

"What?" Ichigo glared up at the espada as the desert floor rushed up to meet them.

"You're at your strongest now." The espada replied, the faintest of smirks pulling at his lips. "And Getsuga Tenshou is your strongest attack. Hit me with it now. I'll show you how much stronger I am."

With a sharp clash of steel, the vizard broke free, looking on silently as Ulquiorra soared back into the air, and he himself landed gently upon the frigid sands of Hueco Muendo.

"Use Getsuga? Don't make me laugh! I was already....planning on it!"

Once more, Ulquiorra was content to wait for the attack to come to him. But something was off about it. Not only was it far too large for a regular getsuga tenshou, but the red outline had been comingled with white, giving it an almost siver helix outline across the black and red. This was not the natural coloration of a Getsgua, so why...

"!!!"

_"Tenrai Getsuga Tenshou!" (Divine heaven shocking lunar fang)_

"Impossible!" Ulquiorra, realizing too late his peril rasied his wings in a desperate attempt to shield himself, only to have them blown clear off as the moon fang tore through the perpetual night of Hueco Muendo and into his chest. He couldn't hold his block for even a second, before the massive swathe of energy took his right arm and roared into the night to explode some distance away.

"How was that, Ulquiorra? I think you said something about proving how much stronger you were."

"I did.." Scowling, the espada returned his attention once more to his smug adversary. His wings and right arm were already beginning to regenerate, he just needed to stall the boy for another five seconds or so. He didn't trust himself to handle this one, not without his wings and both arms. "Still, it was impressive. That attack does resemble my cero, after all."

Ichigo blinked.

"What?"

"That's right, you haven't seen it yet, have you?"

Ulquiorra stuck out a single finger on his remaining hand. Black light, darker than night itself, swirled at the tip, coallescing itself into a pitch black sphere that threatened to blot out the moon itself.

Too late, Kurosaki raised his blade to guard.

"_Cero Oscuras."_

With a deafening roar, the black _cero _blasted downwards and plowed into the pinned vizard below. Sand blew up and out, blanketing the surrounding structures and the spectators that were perched upon them. Inoue shrieked and covered her head with both hands. He possessed hyper-regeneration? And what was this incredible _cero _that he'd just demolished the desert floor with? She was beginning to wonder why Aizen hadn't just ordered him to kill all her friends on the spot, after all, he seemed to be quite capable of it.

As the sandstorm settled and some sort of visibility returned to the arena in front of them, everyone within _Las Noches _gasprf somewhat at the massive crater that lay in the middle of the floor. And even more astonishing was the fact that Ichigo was still standing at the very center of it. Half of the mask shielding what had been on his face, a set of jagged teeth and a crooked jaw line and eye socket. The new arracanr, barely reatining any of his shihakusho slowly rose his way out of the massive divot, gasping heavily as he ascended.

"You think that's it?! That I'm done?!"

"Ya better not be." A voice interrupted We still gotta finish our fight, Kurosaki!"

Ulquiorra and Ulquiorra froze, as another reaitsu roared to the fore.

"Grind! Pantera!"

**_Note: Ichigo's current hairstyle is the same as when he went crazy badass hollow on Ulquiorra. Next time: Tag team?! Grimmjow and Ichigo vs Ulquiorra?!_**


End file.
